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Most people spend a lot of time keeping their sheets, blankets and bedding clean and fresh — but when was the last time you cared for your mattress and pillow?
If the thought of deep cleaning your mattress or washing your pillows leaves you scratching your head, don’t worry. This how-to guide is for you.
Keeping your sheets and blankets clean is a good habit, but it’s not enough. Your mattress could be harbouring a whole ecosystem of dust mites, sweat, dead skin cells under the sheets that you probably can’t see. Sounds gross, right?
However, this doesn’t mean you need to throw out your mattress and pillows at the sight of a stain or the whiff of an odour. You can simply clean them once or twice a year.
Cleaning your mattress and pillows can keep out mites and allergens, prevent stains and odour and help them last longer. In this guide, we’ll show you how to zap stubborn stains, eliminate icky odours, and get your mattress and pillows looking (and feeling) fresh again.
Lucky for you, there are several ways to clean a mattress. These include DIY methods as well as popular name-brand cleaning solutions
We love this plant-based stain remover from Ecover because it's cruelty-free, effective against stubborn stains, and has won a UNEP award.
If you're looking for a DIY stain remover in a pinch, then keep reading. Our recipe for a stain-remover is powerful,, non-toxic, and requires basic items that can be found in every house.
Here’s everything you’ll need to clean your mattress:
If you find yourself asking, “how to clean urine off a mattress” or “how to remove mould from a mattress,” you’ve come to the right place.
These simple yet effective tips will help you get rid of common stains without leaving any traces behind!
Pee accidents are quite common in homes with small kids or pets. Fortunately, it’s pretty easy to clean urine off a mattress.
We'd recommend using the Shout Stain Removing Spray to clean urine stains, because it's enzyme based and penetrates stains quickly
Vomits can cause a big mess because, with this, you need to wash your sheets, mattress cover, and other bedding separately. Here, we’ll show you how to clean a vomit stain off your mattress.
Like urine and vomit, blood is also a protein stain. The key to getting rid of such stains is the speed - the quicker you take action, the easier it is to eliminate them.
You’re probably aware of how harmful mould is for your health. This fungus can be lurking in places you can’t even imagine - and your mattress is an example of it.
Sweating is an everyday occurrence, but it’s not really possible to clean your mattress every day. So, you can follow this routine once a week.
Bonus tip: Let your mattress breathe and air itself for a couple of hours before putting on new sheets. This helps reduce the chances of mould and odour.
If you want to avoid getting into the hassle of cleaning your mattress every other month, follow the guidelines we’ve listed below:
We can’t stress enough the importance of having a mattress protector. They are relatively inexpensive and can save you from spending a good sum of money on a new mattress.
Make sure you get a waterproof protector like the Wilko Waterproof Mattress Protector so if you accidentally spill something on your bed, your protector has got you covered.
Your bedsheets also absorb sweat and dead skin cells, which means they are a harbour for harmful bacteria. Hence they should be cleaned once a week.
Washing your bedding often helps stop the transfer of icky germs and bacteria from your sheets and pillows to your mattress.
Do you have a habit of munching before bedtime? Or do you let your pet share a bed with you?
As tempting as it may be, eating in bed or letting your pet sleep there increases the chances of dust mites and bacteria buildup in your mattress. So, better avoid doing that.
Most people think that professional dry-cleaning is necessary to give your pillows a clean and fresh look.
While that is partly true, you should know that in most cases, your pillow won’t require an expensive trip to the dry cleaner. You can easily wash your pillows at home with the help of this guide.
It’s important to note that certain types of pillows require special treatment, so do check the tags for cleaning instructions before you toss your pillow into the washing machine.
Besides checking the tag for instructions, there are a few other things to take care of. We’ve listed them below for your ease:
If you need to spot clean your pillows, we'd recommend the Tesco Oxy Stain Remover Spray, because it is effective against dark stains, and contains a
As mentioned above, different types of pillows require different treatments. Below we’ve discussed the most common pillow types and how to clean them.
These types of pillows are machine-washable, just like a duvet or comforter (yay!). However, before you start, check your pillow for any holes otherwise you’ll probably lose its filling by the end of the wash cycle.
Set your machine on a gentle setting, at a warm temperature, and the highest water level possible. Add detergent (preferably a liquid one) in proportion to your load and start the cycle. You can dry your pillows on a low-heat gentle or delicate cycle if you have a tumble-dryer.
Bonus tip: Put two clean tennis balls in the dryer to prevent clumping and give your pillows a fluffy look.
Unlike cotton, feather, and fibre-filled pillows, memory foam pillows are not machine-washable, as a machine cycle can cause permanent damage. Hence, they are best hand-washed and air-dried.
Dissolve a teaspoon of detergent in a tub of lukewarm water and dip your pillow in entirely. Squeeze repeatedly to evenly distribute the solution through the inside. Let it soak for 5 minutes before rinsing it thoroughly. Once done, dab your pillow dry with a towel and air on a clothesline.
Important: Do not tumble-dry memory foam pillows, as that can ruin the foam completely and even cause it to catch fire.
Washing microbead pillows can quickly become a messy affair if the pillow has even the tiniest of holes. Therefore, it’s a good idea to place the pillow inside a cover before putting it into the machine. Don’t forget to spot treat any stains beforehand!
The instructions for washing microbead pillows are pretty much the same as cotton ones; the only difference is that such pillows are lightweight, so it might be a good idea to put a few heavy towels above them to prevent the pillow from rising to the top of the machine.
Just like memory foam pillows, wool pillows also require special care as they’re prone to shrinking in a normal wash cycle.
However, in the case of wool pillows, we recommend going the extra mile and getting them cleaned professionally to prevent fibres from lumping. This might be a costly idea, but it will help preserve your wool pillows for longer.
When you find a pillow that matches your preferences, you want to properly take care of it so it lasts for as long as possible. Here are a few tips to help you do that:
Your pillow requires just as much care as your mattress. It’s always good to encase your pillow in a zippered protector.
The Wilko Quilted Non-Allergenic Pillow Protector can help prevent spills, stains, and mites.
It’s recommended to wash your pillows every 3-6 months, depending on your usage. Most pillows are machine-washable (except for memory foam and wool pillows), so they’re fairly easy to clean.
Besides washing pillows, you should also replace your pillowcase at least once in two weeks as they absorb sweat and dead skin cells, which can lead to the growth of mites.
Most importantly, you should replace your pillow once it has run its course. Test your pillows by folding them in half. If they unfold on their own, consider them good for use; if they stay folded, it’s time to invest in new ones.
Cleaning your mattress and pillows at home might seem overwhelming, especially if you’ve never done it before.
However, doing so will not only help you save a good amount of money, but it’ll also keep you safe from the harmful chemicals that professional cleaners use to clean mattresses and pillows.
We hope that this guide will make the job a bit easier for you!
Prices updated on 01/03/2022. We are not responsible for any changes on the prices mentioned above.
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